Dave Eggers, a shining beacon in our local and national literary scene, will be stopping by Green Apple Books tomorrow, September 14th at noon for an in-store book signing to honor his award-winning novel Zeitoun's paperback release.

If you haven't picked up Zeitoun, it's a harrowing tale of one family's experience of Hurricane Katrina and an examination of New Orleans in the wake of the disaster on a national and international scope. Said the book's New York Times review:

It's hard to start a business in the Bay Area. And even harder to make it successful. We're inspired by the couples who have done it together and have decided to highlight them every week in our "Bay Area Power Couples" blog series.

This Sunday, opera takes Hippie Hill back from the drum circles. Spread out a blanket in Golden Gate Park for a leisurely afternoon of opera floating through the trees to soothe your soul before another work week.

Hey, all you "creative" types out there! Yeah, I'm talking to you photographers, graphic designers, illustrators and the rest of you. Ever wondered what it's like to start a business doing what you love and be successful while you're at it? Candystore Collective is hosting a book launch party tonight for Chronicle Books' newest release, Creative, Inc. It's the ultimate guide to making killer portfolios, legal advice on starting a business, and all the advice you'd need in between.

For his first-ever U.S. show, Stanley Donwood, the man behind each of Radiohead's iconic album covers, chose to touch down at FIFTY24SF gallery in Lower Haight. The show, which opens tomorrow night, will feature Donwood's iconic art, as well as a crazy sound installation called the "Overnormalizer."

Over several cups of tea and cigarettes, I sat down to talk with Donwood and his collaborator John Matthias (a physicist and instrumental songwriter) about their obsession with spam emails, the "Overnormalizer" and of course, working with Radiohead.

Welcome to "Transported," our new weekly series about getting places in San Francisco, whether you take the bus or the BART, bike or drive. Come here to find the skinny on secret parking spots, the new bike lanes and how to get across town on MUNI without losing your mind.

It's back to school time, so take your brain off summer vacation. Here are some opportunities to get your noggin firing some extra neurons this fall:

Jonathan Franzen @ City Arts & Lectures: Perhaps THE great American novelist of his generation (The New York Times Book Review called his latest novel, Freedom, "a masterpiece of American fiction"), Franzen (who previously authored The Corrections) is a deeply cerebral writer who crafts multi-layered plots of dramatic social commentary. At Herbst Theatre, he'll be talking to Mark Breitenberg about his writing life and new works. September 13th, 8 pm. Other City Arts & Lectures events to get on your calendar include Jonathan Safran Foer, Maya Rudolph, Mark Morris and Judd Apatow. (check out the full schedule here).